A/N: So, first story on this site. Also first story for TFP. And that isn't from behind enemy lines...

So I hope you like, its a really short chapter

I don't own Transformers Prime, or the characters. They belong to Hasbro.

Helpful critique is appreciated, put downs aren't.

Chapter 1: Research

Optimus sat up slowly from his recharge berth. The five Autobots had had a rough day after fighting Cons in an Energon mine. The other four Cybertronians had, as the human children put it, "passed out" as soon as they laid down and offlined their exhausted optics. But their leader couldn't power down for some reason.

Optimus Prime perched on the edge of his berth, arms comfortably resting on his thighs, his large digits twiddling absentmindedly as his mind wandered.

The last of the Primes sighed, leaning back into the wall behind him. Something was nagging at the back of his CPU, but he didn't know what. The Vehicons hadn't seemed as Energon starved as usual, and fought with more purpose, like there was something else in that mine then just precious crystals of raw life blood.

The massive Autobot stood, proceeding to quietly stretch. As soundlessy as possible, left the room. His pedsteps were the only noises in the hallways as Optimus headed towards the Groundbridge and central computers. He might as well do some research; it always seemed to calm him down.

The green light from the computer screens began to fill the room, as the clack of keys accompanied them. Cybertronian symbols flitted across one screen, as strange images scrolled down another. The third, surprisingly enough, held English. The Autobot occasionally glanced up at it, then read the Cybertronian subtext. Rafael had been teaching him and Ratchet his language in their spare time, as the medic gladly helped the youngest organic learn theirs.

After an hour or so, the keys stopped typing and Optimus allowed a small growl of frustration escape him. Little did the others know, he did occasionally have spurts of emotion like this when no one was around, especially when something didn't make any sense, and that was beginning to grind on his already exhausted nerves. How would an Energon mine that small send up flares of extreme energy readings? A few computer clicks later revealed a flawed–

Optimus' in-vents sputtered, the equivalent of a human yawn, and his optics began to droop. One large servo reached up to cup the side of his face, his elbow resting on the platform next to it. English and Cybertronian text blurred together, swimming across his vision.

The Prime rapidly onlined and offlined his optics, trying to clear the imprints left on them. His servos grasped the edge of the computer inputs, trying to steady the drained Cybertronian warrior.

Optimus pushed himself up to a non-leaning position, turned off the computers and haltingly returned to his berth to recharge.

If the Autobot had read for a little longer, he would have seen the old excavation note at the edge of the English screen, mentioning a large chamber at the back of a sapphire mine near where the Energon mine was located. He would have seen it stating that everyone that went in, never came back out.